Key of the Rebellion
by mysterious-wanderer
Summary: Lelouch and Roxas meet, but two months later, Zero has come on to the scene after no activity and things are beginning to change for the two. Roxas/Lelouch. AU (I guess), with events parallel to Code Geass.
1. Knight of Destiny

It had been a cold and rainy night, and Roxas had nowhere to go. No friends or family to stay with, a stray if you will. He knew the streets well enough to get around town, but that was on clear nights.

"Looks like you could use some help." A voice said, coming from the darkness of a run down building.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Roxas replied.

The stranger pulled Roxas out of the cold and put a black trench coat over the blond's shoulders, leading him to a back room where a small fire burned. As his eyes adjusted, Roxas was able to get a good look at the kind stranger. He couldn't be much older than Roxas himself, who was fifteen. The strange boy's raven hair and violet eyes could easily be seen with the fire burning, standing out from the dark walls.

"So, who are you?" Roxas questioned.

"Is that how you thank somebody who helped you off the street on a night like this? Man, would I hate to see how you treat people who scorn you." he replied.

"Just answer the question, alright?" Roxas retorted, an edge in his voice as he let out two violent coughs.

"Lelouch. Lelouch Lamperouge is my name. And what's yours?"

_Finally, something good coming from this awful night_, Roxas thought. "Roxas, my name is Roxas. It's nice to meet you." he paused. "And thanks for the help, too."

"No problem. Oh, and you should probably take your wet clothes off and get some sleep." Lelouch said quietly.

"But I have no extra clothes to sleep in." Roxas responded, looking around the room. "And where am I supposed to sleep?"

"You are wearing underwear, are you not? I have a sleeping bag that could fit two, but you can have it to yourself if you like."

_Does this guy always help out strangers like this? _"Thanks, now would you mind turning the other way while I undress?" Roxas asked bluntly.

"Sure, no problem, Roxas." Lelouch said turning his body opposite Roxas. "You can leave your shirt and pants on the table to dry overnight." He looked over his shoulder to see the younger boy take off his shirt. A rush of blood turned his cheeks a light pink. "So, what were you doing out in a storm like this any way?"

"Trying to leave the past behind, for the most part. I'm not proud of some of my actions as of late and I'm looking to change that." Roxas walked over in just his underwear and put a hand on Lelouch's shoulder. "I want to make an impact on the world, one to change it for the better. What has led you to this rundown building?"

"Well, I just got caught in this storm on my way back to my apartment. I've already left behind those close to me, but a change in the world is something we can most definitely agree on." A smirk broke across Lelouch's otherwise stoic face.

The blond made his way to the sleeping bag and proceeded to cocoon himself inside it. With his head resting on his crossed arms, he looked over to the raven-haired Lelouch. "What about your friends? I'd imagine that they are pretty worried about you."

Lelouch knelt down beside Roxas, looking him in the eye. "They're the reason I left. I had to protect them, and my younger sister, Nunnally."

"Protecting them from what?" Roxas had a puzzled look as Lelouch stated his reasoning. "What's so bad that you must abandon your friends and sister?"

The younger Roxas became more and more inquisitive, Lelouch shifted to his side and looked away, mumbling something under his breath.

"What?" Roxas asked.

Lelouch sighed. Here he was, confiding in a complete and total stranger with his problems, yet wasn't overly concerned about this situation either. "My father."

A look of shock broke out across Roxas' face as he took in the fact that the older boy's reasoning behind leaving his friends and sister was to protect them from his own father. "What has he done that's so bad you have to leave those that you love and love you in return?"

"You wouldn't understand yet, Roxas. You haven't seen what my father, that... that tyrant is remotely capable of doing. And I hope you never have to either, but that is something neither of us have any control over. All I have to say is that if you walk around as you were tonight, be prepared to see some pretty disturbing sights." Lelouch's voice had a serious tone to it, and something inside Roxas told him things would be changing quite quickly in life with Lelouch around him.

"You said this sleeping bag was able to hold two people, right Lelouch?" Roxas shyly asked as he stared at the raven-haired boy until the latter nodded. "Well, uhm, it doesn't seem very fair for you to sleep in the cold while I am warm. I guess what I'm saying is, you're more than welcome to sleep beside me."

Lelouch looked back to the blond and as a smile came to his face. "Yeah, that would be nice. Thanks."

Roxas made room for Lelouch to make his way into the sleeping bag. As Lelouch settled into place for the night, Roxas rested his head on the older boy's chest. With the faint glow of the fire reflecting off the blond's face, Lelouch caught a hint of pink on Roxas' face, and for the second time that night he felt a rush fill his own cheeks.


	2. Return of Zero

"Lettuce, tomato, salad dressing... Anything else you can think of, Lulu?" Roxas called over his shoulder as Lelouch was on his way out of their apartment, a duffle bag in hand just as every morning before.

Tonight would be two months the two had been together. The morning after Lelouch saved Roxas, he offered the spare bedroom at his apartment to the blond, who appreciated the act of kindness. Within a week, Roxas had a part-time job at a small diner to help pay the bills. He didn't know much of Lelouch's job other than Lelouch was an assistant manager of some business.

"Do you have carrots, cucumbers and croutons on the list?" The older, raven-haired Lelouch asked. "And what shall we do with the salad? Chicken, steak, something else?"

"I'll take a look around when I go to the store later, see if anything jumps out to me. I'll give you a call -"

"Don't bother calling me, let it be a surprise." Lelouch interrupted before noticing the time on the clock. "I've really got to go, and I'm already running late." He walked over to Roxas and placed his lips on the boy's cheek. "So you tonight, Rox." With that, Lelouch left out the door in a brisk jog.

Roxas added the three items to the shopping list. _It's odd that he doesn't what me to call him about it,_ Roxas thought before shrugging it away. "He's probably just got a lot of work to take care of today. Yeah, that's all." The blond chuckled as he began clean-up of the apartment.

* * *

Lelouch was two streets away from the apartment when a black car stopped in front of him as he was approaching a crosswalk.

"Get in." Lelouch recognized the voice as an old friend.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting for you to turn up here, C.C. What brings you to these parts?" Lelouch asked with a perplexed expression on his face. It wasn't unnatural for C.C. to show up unannounced, but he was wondering how the green-haired girl had found him.

"Looking for you. First off, you leave everybody, your friends at Ashford and your Black Knights, behind without so much as a word to anyone. Nunnally is worried sick about the only family she has left. Kallen's trying her best to keep the Knights from doing anything reckless, all while balancing school work." C.C. had a look of disappointment on her face as she continued driving away from the apartment. "Secondly, we are still engaged in a contract, or have you forgotten? And lastly, what's in the bag?"

"You know I have to keep them safe. If they knew, the Knights, my friends... Nunnally, if they all knew I was Zero..." Lelouch turned away from his friend as the stopped at a traffic light as his voice choked out the name. "You know that they wouldn't be safe. I can't risk that. AS far as the bag is concerned -" He zipped it open to reveal the purpled-faced masked that was Zero. "I have to make sure Roxas-"

"Roxas?" A puzzling look broke across C.C.'s face.

"Yes, Roxas, my..." Lelouch paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain his and the blond's relationship. "He's my roommate. I helped him out a while back, and we've grown on to one another."

"Does he know of Zero?" C.C. asked.

"No, he doesn't. At least, he doesn't know yet." his voice trailed off at the end.

"Yet? So you plan on telling him of this mess?"

"I can't exactly leave him out of this if he lives with me, now can I? Any way, can you drop me off at this corner so I can actually get to work? Oh, and make sure to tell Kallen where Zero is so the forces can shift slowly towards here, alright?" An almost pain-stricken look appeared on Lelouch's face. _I left one part of Area Eleven, no Japan, to save those I care about, but now I have Roxas to take care of as well. I can't keep running, for his sake, for Nunnally's, for my friends._

"You have my word." The car screeched to a halt as C.C. responded to his final question. "Oh, and Lelouch," she started while he turned around, throwing the bag into his arms. "Be careful."

"Right."

* * *

"Check, check, and check." Roxas crossed off the three items Lelouch suggested this morning, but still hadn't figure out what to have with the salad. "Chicken, steak... Shrimp? Shrimp doesn't sound bad at all."

A crackling noise broke over the intercom. "Attention shoppers, please direct you focus to the television monitor nearest you."

Roxas looked around, until he saw a group of people gathered around the screen.

"The store is on lockdown?" An elderly woman asked.

"Not just this one, but all the shops in this part of town." A man with unusual spectacles replied.

Roxas couldn't pick out everything that was being said, but it did not sound good.

"We will now take you live to the streets where our camera crews are focusing in on Zero, leader of the Black Knights. This is the first time in four months that he has made a public appearance, yet no identification of the person behind the mask has been obtained."

"Citizens of Japan, whether Japanese or Brittanian, I am here to fight for you. No numbers, just people. I will free this and other countries from Brittanian rule. Whether the Brittanian people want to continue living here in peace with the Japanese is on their accord. My goal is simply to bring about the downfall of the Brittanian Empire. The Black Knights will resurface, more organized and stronger than ever."

The masked figure turned and ran to the side of the building. Camera crews were following his every move. Zero jumped off the side as reporters gasped in shock that he would make such a move after announcing the revival of the Rebellion.

A loud screeching sound was heard from around the corner, and a Knightmare Frame appeared, zooming off away from the cameras.

The screen returned to a news studio desk that confirmed what the viewers had just witnessed: Zero and the Black Knights had returned.

_I wonder if this is what Lelouch was referring to that night. _Roxas thought as he made his way to a checkout line. The cashier told him the amount due and thanked him for choosing the store as he paid and left for the apartment.

Police and Brittanian Forces were scattered about the streets, trying to calm down the panicked crowds that filled them.

"This Zero guy must be bad news to have this much chaos over an announcement." Roxas muttered to himself.

"Bad news is an understatement, considering he killed Princess Euphemia." A boy, who was probably the same age as Lelouch, stated from Roxas' right side, startling the blond. He had brown hair and green eyes, standing about as tall as Lelouch. "I am Suzaku Kururugi, the Knight of Seven. Zero is a threat to Japanese and Brittanians alike, and I'd go so far as to say he's a terrorist. If you hear anything of his identity or location, you are to report that information to authorities immediately, is that understood..."

"Roxas." he replied with the ending to the question Suzaku was looking for.

"Is that understood, Roxas?" Suzaku asked.

"Yes, sir." the blond said uneasily.

Roxas continued walking down the street before reaching the door to the apartment, only to find it was unlocked. He entered the apartment, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Roxas?" Lelouch appeared from the ktichen. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little confused about what's happening right now, but I'm fine. Why are you home so early? I thought you said you were going to be busy." Roxas' voice cracked slightly at the end of the sentence which got a chuckle out of Lelouch.

"With news of Zero's return, we were told to go home for the rest of the day, so here I am." He approached Roxas and embraced him tightly. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Roxas felt his cheeks flare a light pink as he held Lelouch in a similar fashion. "You should go clean yourself up a bit, Lulu." Roxas whispered into the other boy's ear. "I'll start dinner shortly."

The two released one another from the grips of their arms. While Lelouch made his way to the bathroom, Roxas dropped the two bags of groceries on the counter.

"Roxas," Lelouch called from the bathroom, "can you come in here for a few moments."

He could hear the bathtub running, which means Lelouch would be a taking a while to relax. Roxas proceeded to the bathroom door and paused a moment before opening it.

A flood of aroma, lilac and lavender being the most distinct of them, engulfed Roxas as he took in the sight of Lelouch lowering himself into the tub by candlelight.

"Could you come rub the back of my neck and shoulders? They've been aching me since I got home." His violet eyes looked pleading into Roxas' blue orbs.

A smile developed on Roxas' face as he approached the only friend he really had. He rubbed his hands together before digging dep into Lelouch's shoulders. A gasp escaped the older boy's mouth in relief.

"I need to tell you something, but you can't tell anyone." Lelouch stated, closing his eyes.

Roxas looked down and kissed Lelouch's forhead gently while continuing his massage of the raven-haired boy's shoulders. "I promise."

"You promise not to get mad at me either?"

"Of course."

Lelouch rolled over onto his stomach, forcing the younger Roxas to halt the rubbing. He opened his eyes so they could meet the shimmering blue ones before him.

"I..." he paused for a moment. "I am Zero."


End file.
